4/14/2011 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Minutes

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Mashpee Environmental Oversight Committee Minutes of Meeting April 14 at 7:00 p.m. Mashpee Town Hall, Selectmen's Meeting Room Present: Chairman John Cahalane, Ed Baker,Rick York, George Petersen, Ted Theis CALL TO ORDER The meeting was opened by Chairman Cahalane at 7:04 p.m. with a quorum. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES March 10, 2011 Mr. Petersen made a motion to accept the minutes of March 10th, 2011. Mr. Theis seconded the motion. All voted unanimously. NEW BUSINESS Mashpee Girl Scout Troop 818111-Oyster Count Project Fifth grade members of Girl Scout Troop 81811 were in attendance to report their findings from their oyster count project. The Girl Scouts were working towards their Bronze Award, the highest award a Junior Girl Scout could receive. The Girl Scouts were required to participate in a community service project and selected an oyster count project for Mashpee. The count took place on Sunday, April 10, The Girl Scouts counted and measured the oysters, as well as collected water quality data. Counts and sampling occurred at Ockway Bay Boat Landing, Hamblin Pond, Sedge Lot Pond and Great River Landing. Results of the oyster counts were as follows: Ockway Bay Boat Landing-48, Hamblin Pond- 13, Sedge Lot Pond-1 and Great River Landing-1. Oysters were upwards of 4 inches long and 3 inches wide with the smallest being 1 inch long and 1 inch wide. The water quality was tested at each site for pH, water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. The Girl Scouts also reported that the Association to Preserve Cape Cod was seeking volunteers to assist with the 2011 Herring Count of the Mashpee River. The Girl Scouts have assisted with the count nine times, performing a 10 minute count each time. Earlier in the day, the Girl Scouts counted 156 herring during a 10 minute timeframe. Anyone interested in participating in the count may contact Dr. Jo Ann Muramoto at(508) 362-4226. Mr. York thanked the Girl Scouts for their work and noted the project's importance since the results have indicated that the oysters were returning to the area. Mr. York stated that the oysters were wiped out during the 1980's, requiring that they be grown from seed, now resulting in hundreds of thousands of oysters in Mashpee at various locations and farms. Mr. York reported that the oysters identified by the Girl Scouts had increased from the last few years. Mr. York stated that most of the oysters were just one year old. Mr. York thanked the Girls Scouts for their efforts and Chairman Cahalane noted the importance of their work in helping the town of Mashpee. All Committee members thanked the girls for their work. Mary Waygan, one of the Troop Leaders, thanked both Renee Fudala and Mr. York for their technical assistance with the project. Friends of Sautuit Pond/Mashpee DPW-Community Preservation Committee Application Chairman Cahalane referenced the new application for CPC funding. Mr. Baker recused himself from discussion and vote on the topic due to the fact that he was a co-sponsor through the Mashpee Environmental Coalition, John Kabat, Friends of Santuit Pond, stated that Catherine Laurent, DPW Director, edited the previous application and provided an estimate for the cost of permitting and the original guarantee agreement from the vendor. Ms. Laurent stated that a town department was